Aaron Schrank
has been on the ground, reporting on homelessness and other issues in L.A. for more than a decade.
Published November 6, 2026 5:00 AM
City Council members from left, Tim McOsker, Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman and Marqueece Harris-Dawson at an L.A. City Council meeting.
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Topline:
Nithya Raman won the race for Los Angeles mayor and unseated incumbent Karen Bass without a single endorsement from her colleagues on the City Council. She won without them, but she’ll have to govern with them.
Why it matters: How Raman gets along with the council will shape whether she can deliver on her campaign promises. The council approves the city budget, confirms the mayor’s appointees and will decide who fills Raman’s own council seat.
Why now: After Bass conceded Thursday, nearly every council member said they were ready to work with Mayor-elect Raman, who takes office on Dec. 14. Most pledged to partner with her on basic city services: working streetlights, fixed sidewalks, help for renters.
The backstory: Raman, a two-term council member and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, entered the race in February just hours before the filing deadline and shortly after endorsing Bass. Thirteen of the 14 council members endorsed Bass, including other DSA-affiliated council members.
Nithya Raman won the race for Los Angeles mayor this week and unseated incumbent Karen Bass without a single endorsement from her colleagues on the City Council.
She won without them, but she’ll have to govern with them.
Raman, a two-term councilmember and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, entered the race in February just hours before the filing deadline and shortly after endorsing Bass.The move caught some colleagues off guard and angered Bass allies, who noted the mayor had helped Raman win reelection two years ago.
After Bass conceded Thursday, nearly every councilmember said they were ready to work with Mayor-elect Raman, who takes office on Dec. 14.
In a video message Thursday, she spoke to Angelenos who voted for Bass or skipped the election altogether.
“I am going to City Hall to work every single day to earn your trust, and to earn your trust in this city again,” Raman said.
She’ll also have to win support from a council that backed her opponent.
Thirteen of the 14 endorsed Bass, including other DSA-affiliated councilmembers.
How Raman gets along with the council will shape whether she can deliver on her campaign promises. She has pledged to reduce the number of people living in tents and encampments by at least 50% before the 2028 Olympics, triple annual housing construction and staff a film office in the mayor's office to win back Hollywood jobs.
The council approves the city budget, confirms the mayor’s appointees and will decide who fills Raman’s own council seat.
Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, right, speaks with Councilmember Nithya Raman at City Hall.
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"Although the mayor has a lot of power, much of the legislation and action items are going to have to go through [the] council,” Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, another DSA-affiliated councilmember, told LAist Thursday.
“I'm looking forward to working with her on these issues, but just from a different perspective,” Soto-Martínez continued. “There are moments where we might not be on the same page, as with this mayoral campaign, but there's a lot that we agree on.”
LAist asked the 12 members of L.A.'s City Council who will serve alongside Raman how they plan to work with her. (Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Curren Price are leaving the council.) All but one responded or posted congratulations online.
Most pledged to partner with her on basic city services: working streetlights, fixed sidewalks, help for renters.
“Of course, there’s going to be disagreement,” Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky told LAist. “The entire body supported the incumbent. Disagreement is inevitable, but dysfunction is a choice, and we do not have the luxury right now of dysfunction. We need to come together and govern.”
Some warned that the job ahead won't be easy.
“We have many challenges ahead of us,” said Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, in a statement provided to LAist. “And I trust that Mayor-elect Raman is ready to face them head-on.”
The view from the progressive bloc
Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado — both DSA members like Raman — endorsed Bass in May. Soto-Martínez had also backed Bass before Raman entered the race.
On Thursday, all three welcomed Raman’s win. Hernandez told LAist in a statement that she and Raman already have a track record of passing progressive policies together. Those included coauthoring the Sanctuary City Ordinance and advancing stronger protections for tenants facing eviction and harassment.
“We’ve shown what's possible when we challenge the status quo, and I'm excited about what we can accomplish together with her in the Mayor's Office,” Hernandez wrote.
Jurado, who chairs the committee focused on homelessness, said the city of L.A. needs to deliver affordable housing, safer streets, pathways out of homelessness and reliable city services.
"Mayor-elect Raman will have a committed partner in me as we take on that work,” Jurado said in a statement. “We share a belief that working people should be able to build a future in this city, and I am ready to work alongside her to make that promise real for more Angelenos.”
Soto-Martínez said he and Raman talked after she entered the race and knew they’d be on opposite sides. But he said the issues Raman talked about during her campaign are important to the district he represents — which includes Hollywood, East Hollywood and parts of Northeast L.A.
“My district is about 83% renters, and we have about 700 people a month who get a notice of eviction for non-payment of rent,” Soto-Martínez told LAist. “And so I look forward to working on the affordability crisis and making sure that tenants stay indoors.”
He said he looks forward to the next chapter, with Raman as mayor.
“I congratulated her on her victory and we both immediately pivoted to the work ahead of us, which I was very happy about,” Soto-Martínez said. “I think it'll be a seamless transition.”
los Angeles City Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Monica Rodriguez and Hugo Soto-Martínez listen to fellow City Council member at City Hall, Dec. 2, 2025.
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What Raman’s critics say
Even some of Raman’s harshest critics on the council said they're ready to work with her.
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who told the Los Angeles Times during the campaign that she didn't know what Raman stands for, called the mayor-elect Thursday to congratulate her, Rodriguez’s office told LAist.
This week, Rodriguez told NBC Los Angeles that working with Raman would require colleagues to set aside “personal feelings.”
Councilmember Traci Park, whose district covers the Westside and includes the Pacific Palisades, said she voted for Bass but did not endorse her. Park had criticized Raman's record on public safety and her response to the fire.
“She faces great challenges as she takes the helm at City Hall,” Park told LAist. “Olympic test events are coming to Venice next year and the 2028 Games are right around the corner. We must have her support to prepare our streets, sidewalks and coastal access hub.”
Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who had said serving on Raman’s homelessness committee was the “most unproductive time I've had on the council,” declined LAist’s interview request and had not posted any statement on social media, as of Thursday night.
What challenges lie ahead
Raman takes over a city with a strained budget, a street homelessness crisis, a Palisades still rebuilding from the 2025 fire and less than two years to prepare for the Olympics.
“The streetlights are out, the roads aren't being repaved fast enough, the sidewalks are a mess, homelessness is a problem,” Yaroslavsky told LAist. “These are all things that I'm expecting to work with the new mayor on.”
Yaroslavsky, who chairs the council's budget committee, said Raman will lead the city during a “tricky time budgetarily.”
“I've worked closely with Nithya over the last four years,” she said. “We've agreed, we've disagreed, but we have a good working relationship with each other already, so it's not like we're starting from scratch.”
Yaroslavsky and Raman were the only councilmembers to vote against the $2.6 billion Convention Center expansion last year, warning it was too financially risky. Yaroslavsky said they share a concern for the city’s long-term finances.
“We can't spend money we don't have,” Yaroslavsky said. “We need to look internally and be more efficient with the dollars we do have and we need to find ways to grow our budget without raising people's taxes. Nithya and I agree on that.”
A parks measure on Tuesday's ballot guarantees more city money for parks, Yaroslavsky said, which means “less for the other departments.” Revenue from a Fire Department sales tax, which appeared headed for passage, will need careful oversight, she said.
Congratulating Raman on social media, Councilmember Heather Hutt wrote that residents want better transportation, more parks and investment in streets, and that her office “stands ready to partner” with the new mayor.
Nazarian’s statement said that he and Raman “both came to this country as immigrants and had to start over.” He listed rising costs, public transit and keeping film and TV production in L.A. as shared priorities with the mayor-elect.
Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents the Harbor-area 15th District, wrote on social media that he looks forward to working with Raman “to improve the quality of life for the people of the One-Five and all Angelenos.”
Councilmember John Lee wrote on social media that he looks forward to working with Raman “to improve city services and address the challenges our neighborhoods face.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman has surpassed Spencer Pratt to enter the number two slot in the primary race for LA mayor, setting her up as the potential runoff candidate against incumbent Karen Bass.
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Positioning for Raman's replacement on the council
Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Bass’ closest ally on the council, wrote on social media that it's time for the city “to come together and build a bright future.”
His office also signaled that Raman's 4th District council seat, which she'll vacate, could be filled by appointment rather than through a special election.
“We look forward to working with Mayor-elect Raman and will discuss with her an appointment who best serves the residents of the Fourth District,” Martin Schlageter, a senior advisor to Harris-Dawson, said in a statement to LAist Thursday.
Under the City Charter, the council can fill a vacancy by appointment or call a special election. In 2022, it appointed Heather Hutt to the 10th District seat. In 2023, it held a special election for the 6th District, which Imelda Padilla won. Raman's council term runs through 2028.
Before Raman takes office, the council will begin deciding how to fill her seat, and how to work with their former colleague.
“Let’s see what the next few weeks and the next few years look [like] for the city,” Soto-Martínez said.
How it compares: Palmdale and Lancaster have even higher sales taxes. Those cities charge 11.75% sales tax. Those are the highest in L.A. County and the nation.
Read on… to see the list of sales taxes for other L.A. County cities.
The city of L.A.'s current sales tax is 10.25%. But after the region’s stretched firefighting services became visible during the devastating 2025 fires, voters solidly approved Measure FD this week, increasing the rate to 10.75%.
How and when the increase will trickle down to you
L.A.'s sales tax will go up to 10.75% after the passing of measure FD.
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It’s likely you won’t start paying the additional sales tax until spring. The exact date is difficult to predict: The measure says the tax will be collected on “the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than one hundred ten (110) days after the adoption of this Ordinance” by the L.A. City Council. The L.A. County Registrar-Recorder has until Dec. 3 to certify county elections.
Until then, the City of L.A.’s 10.25% sales tax won’t change. Then it will go up to 10.75%.
A $1,000 laptop, for example, would carry $102.50 in sales tax. But the sales tax increase would raise that sales tax by $5 on that computer.
Under state law, the municipal sales tax will be charged on merchandise such as furniture, giftware, toys, antiques, clothing and restaurant food.
Grocery food and medicine are exempt, however.
How L.A.’s increased sales tax compares to elsewhere
Highest:
11.75%: Palmdale and Lancaster (highest in the nation)
11.5%: Santa Fe Springs
11.25%: Azusa, Bell Gardens, Calabasas, City of Commerce, Compton, Covina, Culver City, Gardena, Glendora, Irwindale, Lynwood, Pico Rivera, San Marino, South Gate, Santa Monica
10.25%: Bell, Beverly Hills, Bradbury, Cerritos, City of Industry, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Maywood, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Dimas, Santa Clarita, Walnut, West Covina, Westlake Village
Lowest:
7.75%: Tustin, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
7.25%: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Camarillo
Outside of California:
10.4%: Seattle
10.5% : Chicago
8.25%: Dallas
8.875%: New York City
Next time you get sticker shock after you swipe your card or phone to pay for something, remember that cities turn around and use that money to pay for water, trash collection, police and emergency services with that money.
The USS Iowa approaches the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
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CindiK.
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via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Topline:
Starting Saturday, Nov. 7, the 63-year-old Vincent Thomas Bridge will shut down until at least March 2028 for major construction. Workers will replace its deck, which has become “severely deteriorated” from thousands of vehicles driving across it daily.
Why now: Caltrans began forming this plan after a 2021 inspection found that the bridge deck condition had dropped from “fair” to “poor” in part because of heavy truck traffic from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. That ultimately led to the $750 million bridge deck replacement project, which will also replace the center median, railing, fencing and install new seismic sensors and utilities on the bridge.
Detour: Caltrans’ official detour recommends that drivers from San Pedro use the 110 Freeway to access Harry Bridges Boulevard, then take the 47 Freeway at Henry Ford Boulevard or the 710 Freeway.
Read on . . . for more on the impact on local residents and businesses.
Starting Saturday, Nov. 7, the 63-year-old Vincent Thomas Bridge will shut down until at least March 2028 for major construction. Workers will replace its deck, which has become “severely deteriorated” from thousands of vehicles driving across it daily.
The Vincent Thomas, which connects San Pedro to Terminal Island, is the state’s fourth-longest suspension bridge. It handles an estimated 53,000 vehicles — including 4,600 heavy trucks — each day.
The bridge is often the quickest route between San Pedro and Long Beach. Detours along Anaheim Street or Pacific Coast Highway could double many people’s commute times.
Tate Allen and his San Pedro neighbors have begun referring to the closure as “Harborgeddon.”
The Vincent Thomas Bridge will close to traffic starting Saturday, Nov. 7 in San Pedro, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Allen, with help from Claude AI, even put together a website bearing that name that has a countdown clock and a map of suggested detours.
Caltrans’ official detour recommends that drivers from San Pedro use the 110 Freeway to access Harry Bridges Boulevard, then take the 47 Freeway at Henry Ford Boulevard or the 710 Freeway.
That’s likely the route most truck drivers entering and exiting the Port of Long Beach will take, Allen said, and commute times could vary widely depending on the time of day.
He currently travels from San Pedro to his downtown Long Beach office three days a week. Once the bridge closes, his 15-minute drive will likely take 30-45 minutes, Allen estimated.
Ahead of the bridge closure, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents District 15 including San Pedro and Wilmington, pushed for road improvements along the detours to prepare them for increased traffic.
In Wilmington, those efforts included “slurry sealing along Alameda Street and Harry Bridges Boulevard, with concrete repairs in some locations,” Sophie Gilchrist, the councilmember’s spokesperson, wrote in a statement.
McOsker is also asking the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to monitor traffic on Anaheim Street after the bridge closes and identify short-term and long-term fixes “if problems arise,” Gilchrist wrote.
Why is this happening now?
Caltrans began forming this plan after a 2021 inspection found that the bridge deck condition had dropped from “fair” to “poor” in part because of heavy truck traffic from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
That ultimately led to the $750 million bridge deck replacement project, which will also replace the center median, railing, fencing and install new seismic sensors and utilities on the bridge.
Caltrans officials say a full bridge closure was the most palatable of several unsavory options. Plans to just close the bridge at night would have stretched construction to 48 months. A mix of weekend and overnight closures to keep one lane open ranged between 25 and 32 months.
What does this mean for locals?
Business owners in San Pedro are worried that lengthy detours will frustrate potential customers and lead to a dip in sales.
Stephanie Crawford, who has owned Creative Pet Supply in San Pedro for the past 26 years, said construction on the 47 Freeway off-ramp just up the road from her business has already hurt.
Lately, she’s had “quite a few” customers from Long Beach asking how they’ll be able to visit her store once the bridge shuts down.
She’s been telling customers: “We’ll still be open, if you can get to us.”
The Vincent Thomas Bridge will be closed for repairs for over a year, starting Saturday, Nov. 7, in San Pedro, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.The closure might also be a headache for the historic Warner Grand Theatre in downtown San Pedro, which is just finishing up renovations of its own, albeit at an inopportune time, said Liz Schindler Johnson, executive director of the Grand Vision Foundation – a nonprofit arts organization that markets the theater’s events.
On average, roughly 10-15% of their audience comes from Long Beach, Schindler Johnson said. She’s hoping they won’t be put off by the longer drive, especially because the shows primarily take place on weekends.
Two of her eight employees typically commute over the bridge to their San Pedro office and are bracing for added drive time, she said.
“We don’t want to go back to remote work if we can help it,” Schindler Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Allen is trying to stay positive. The longer drive, he said, will give him an excuse to catch up on audiobooks and check out a new grocery store — the Northgate Market along Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington.
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Los Angeles officials expect construction of a fence around MacArthur Park will start in November and continue through fall 2027.
Topline:
Construction of the green metal fence around MacArthur Park will begin Monday, Nov. 16, with work scheduled to continue through fall 2027.
What to expect: The city announced the start date Nov. 4, saying crews will install an 8-foot fence around the park’s perimeter. Nearby residents and businesses can expect some noise, dust and vibration during construction, although the city said mitigation measures will be in place. Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the park will remain open while crews are working.
Construction of the green metal fence around MacArthur Park will begin Monday, Nov. 16, with work scheduled to continue through fall 2027.
The city announced the start date Nov. 4, saying crews will install an 8-foot fence around the park’s perimeter. Nearby residents and businesses can expect some noise, dust and vibration during construction, although the city said mitigation measures will be in place.
Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the park will remain open while crews are working.
Some say they hope the fence will make the park safer, while others question whether it will actually improve conditions there. Police and city officials say the fence will give them more control over the space and make it easier to enforce the law.
Ana Luz Vazquez, a street vendor near MacArthur Park, said her main concern about the fence is what will happen to the unhoused people who stay in the park throughout the day and whether the city plans to address that issue directly.
She is also concerned that construction during the day could affect her ability to work because of traffic, less parking availability and loud noise.
Vazquez said she would prefer construction to take place at night so it would have less of an impact on street vendors.
“If they’re working in the day then how are we supposed to come here and who is going to help us survive,” Vazquez said.
Construction will happen in two phases
Phase 1
Alvarado St. from W. 6th St. to Wilshire Blvd.
S. Park View St. from Wilshire Blvd. to W. 6th St.
Wilshire Blvd. from Alvarado St. to S. Park View St.
Phase 2
Alvarado St. from Wilshire Blvd. to W. 7th St.
S. Park View St. from W. 7th St. to Wilshire Blvd.
Wilshire Blvd. from S. Park View St. to Alvarado St.
W. 7th St. from Alvarado St. to S. Park View St.
Existing trees will be protected and monitored during the work, according to the Department of Recreation and Parks. Traffic control measures will be in place during work hours, and crews will post temporary “No Parking” signs near active work areas in advance.
Services at the park are expected to remain the same throughout construction. The schedule could change because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances, according to the city.
The city has allocated $2.3 million for the project, but officials have not said whether that will cover the full cost.
After the fence is installed, the city plans a second phase focused on adding decorative elements. Officials have said residents will have an opportunity to provide input on the design.
Residents with questions or concerns about the project can contact Recreation and Parks at RAP.PublicInfo@lacity.org or (213) 202-2700.
Twenty years ago, different varieties of Indian basmati rice were hard to find in the U.S. Today, it's big business, with more than 250 million metric tons imported each year. As Diwali begins, so does a celebration of the aromatic, festive dish.
Why it's valued: The rice is prized for its sweet, floral fragrance, which results from where it's grown in the Himalayan foothills. Its name means "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit.
Why now: Basmati is traditionally used for festive dishes, like the ones that will be made and eaten during the festival Diwali, which starts on Friday, Nov. 6.
On most Sundays, SoCal-based South Asian shoppers head to stores like Pioneer Cash and Carry in Artesia for their weekly shopping. But this year, Diwali, the Festival of Lights, falls on Nov. 8, a Sunday, and preparations have been underway for weeks. Between cooking treats and planning feasts, many shoppers' grocery lists will have included basmati rice — and likely, a favored kind or brand.
Two decades ago, for South Asian families, finding Indian rice varieties in U.S. supermarkets — even in Indian grocery stores — was a luxury. Choices were limited: jasmine rice for weeknights, Indian basmati for feasts, or parboiled rice for idli batter.
Today, Indian basmati is big business and is available everywhere. Pioneer Cash and Carry stocks at least four varieties (not just brands) of white basmati rice, as well as brown basmati. In 2025, India exported 274,213 metric tons of basmati rice to the U.S. The Indian Rice Exporters Federation said high demand drove exports, not surplus.
I was delighted to find a source for bulk Basmati at my wholesale club, and when I started writing my cookbooks about Indian cuisine, I was never happy suggesting that my readers swap out basmati for conventional long-grain rice. It simply isn't the same.
SoCal gets its hands on Indian basmati first because the San Pedro Bay port complex is the West Coast gateway for agricultural imports. This helped make SoCal the headquarters of LT Foods Americas, the largest exporters of Indian basmati rice brand Royal Basmati, in Cypress.
Basmati rice is big business.
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Unique characteristics
Basmati rice is prized for its sweet, floral, slightly nutty fragrance and its slender, pearly white and delicately long grain. I find the aroma of freshly cooked Basmati extremely comforting — I can almost imagine it hugging my insides.
Most folks don't realize that Indian Basmati has a GI (Geographic Indicator) tag, like Champagne in France, and farmers in protected regions along the Himalayan foothills take great pride in growing it, and reminding anyone who will listen. It's also grown in Odisha in eastern India.
Heavy rainfall and high humidity coax its unique characteristics. Its fragrance comes from 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, a compound found in some cheeses and fruits. This aroma gives basmati its name, meaning "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit. Exporters age the grain in silos for 12 to 24 months to preserve its fragrance during transport and storage before it reaches home kitchens. It also has a lower glycemic index than many other white rice varieties.
Basmati's characteristic aroma is one of the reasons it's become a major imported item from India to the U.S.
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Soft buttery aroma
I grew up cooking rice in the pressure cooker, measuring water the old-fashioned, 'one knuckle' way. But except for cooking raw grain directly in the microwave, any cooking method works well, and rice cookers take away any guess work.
It just needs a little nudge before cooking, like reviving the grain's memory. A quick rinse followed by soaking the grains in water for 20 to 30 minutes awakens basmati’s aroma and yields a longer cooked grain. When cooked with just enough water, it yields a fluffy, pillowy batch. It suits both sweet and savory dishes and a variety of world cuisines, emitting a soft buttery aroma even if no other spices are added.
My trick to making a simple pot of Basmati finger-licking good is to add a pinch of black cumin seeds at the start and a dollop of ghee while it is finishing. The lightly smoky, black cumin seeds compliments Basmati's floral notes, and ghee melts into all the right corners making every bite luscious.
We Basmati lovers pick our grains based on what we are cooking. The color, length and width of an uncooked basmati grain and its fragrance are critical. An ivory white grain that is at least half an inch long, with a marble-like sheen and soft fragrance, is a multipurpose basmati. A grain that is longer and skinnier is considered premium and often reserved for pulaos and biryanis where presentation also matters. Parboiled basmati rice is starchier and called sella basmati. It makes a creamier rice pudding. Brown basmati is an unpolished grain, and some consider it a healthier option.
At just above $1 per pound, a 20-pound bag of basmati is an underrated pantry upgrade.
WHERE TO BUY
Basmati rice varieties and some bulk: most Indian South Asian stores.
Microwavable Basmati rice: Ralphs, Vons, Walmart, etc.
